Brown Sugar

30

It felt like the light in the hospital room was trying to blind me. I blinked and tried to sit up. The bed wasn't adjusted on an angle. My left leg was prodded up on a pillow and in a heavy ass plaster cast.

Fuck. My sister! The baby! Everything was hitting me at once. I wasn't concerned with my condition at all.

"She up!" I heard one of my aunts yell out in the room.

I just got in an accident. My head is splitting and she's choosing to yell and shit.

I grabbed the bed remote and adjusted the bed so that I may sit up and look around the room. My aunts and uncles were there. My grandpa was in the room as well.

Then my eyes dead locked on his. He smiled a little. I could tell he had been crying. Usually, his skin was smooth and brown. But right now it was puffy and it looked irritated. His face was swollen and his eyes were red.

"How you feeling Nana?" My grandfather grabbed my hand.

"I'm fine." I nodded. "Where's Hadia?"

"She broke her collar bone, dislocated her shoulder and she had a seizure. They're taking the baby, emergency c section. They say he's ready enough though."

I felt tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Yes, everything is fine. Your parents will be home in a little while. Everything is going to be okay Nadia. Don't cry." He soothed me, he pulled me into a hug.

I could tell Xabrien wanted to be in my grandfather's shoes. I could tell it was eating him up that he wasn't here comforting me. It was written all over his face. My family was all over me like white on rice, so he'd just have to wait his turn.

I felt my head and felt a bandage. I hoped my face wasn't fucked up.

"What happened Paw Paw?" I asked him.

"Well, the man that hit y'all was a drunk driver. He was getting chased by the police he'd been pulled over. When the officer went to run his license, he took off and crashed right into y'all."

"Is he okay?" I asked.

My grandfather looked taken aback by my concern for the driver.

"He died on impact baby girl."

I was saddened by the man's death. But also disgusted that his recklessness for my sister and I in this situation.

"Where's Maw Maw?" I asked.

"She's with Hadia. She's been coming by every now and again to check on you. She'll be glad to know you're up."

"When can I go home?" I asked him.

"The doctors say you can be discharged in the morning. They just wanna keep you over night for observation."

"We have to head out tonight too Nadia. I'm sorry." My auntie Rhonda informed me sadly.

"I understand. Your life can't stop for us." I said to her.

I knew the same rules applied for my other aunts and uncles. They didn't live in the same city, or state as us. Two of my uncles were in college again and had to leave in the middle of the baby shower to catch their flights back to Atlanta.

I was disappointed but I knew better than to complain.

"It's not like that Nana."

"No, I understand." I turned to my grandpa. "May I please have my phone?"